Introduction by Will Seippel, CEO – WorthPoint.com Lt. Reichard began writing a diary on January 1, 1943. In February, he bought a camera and began taking some photos. For the next three years, he wrote almost every day. When I started reading his diary, I thought it should be shared and that perhaps WorthPoint’s community of collectors, people like me who are intrigued by the past, might find the diary as fascinating as I did. (To read Will Seippel’s entire introduction, click here)

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January 18, 1943 Diary Page (click to enlarge)

Transcript of diary entry January 18, 1943

Monday, January 18, 1943

Gowen Fieid, Boise, Idaho

Brrrrrrrr. You let out your breath this morning and you practicaly have to chip it out of your way. Lord it was cold. I had to get out early to because the Inspector Generals Office has sent Major Anderson up here to check out records and the men’s clothing. I ate breakfast then went over to the office. We had every thing all laid out so there would be no delay when he came. He showed up about nine and we checked the clothing. After that he went over our equipment. We told him the trouble we were having and he got pretty sore. It looks like we might get some action now. He left around eleven and said he would be back about one. We looked over notes and I checked up on every thing we could to be sure and get an answer to every thing. He turned up around one thirty and we really went over the situation. The Major is a pretty swell guy and sure helped us out. It’s funny that we always get what we want from the higher ranking officers and all our trouble from Lts & Captains. He went up to headquarters and straighted out that Capt. we have been having trouble with. He went over to Engineers and had them order the lumber we ordered for packing. It looks like we can get going. We are going to cancel all the requisitions the other outfit sent in and start new. After he left we went out to the gym. I worked out for an hour. I got my nose busted so between my eye and nose I’m a pretty rough looking individual. I came back over to the office and got off some mail then ate supper. I’m staying in tonight to catch up on some correspondence.

• Realizing that the Nazi German concept of “resettlement” was a charade designed to lead them quietly to their deaths, the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto fought back for the first time. (http://history.howstuffworks.com/world-war-ii/russian-army-repels-hitlers-forces13.htm)

• After two-and-a-half years, the siege of Leningrad came to an end. With thousands of civilian deaths a day, relief came too late for many of the city’s residents. (http://history.howstuffworks.com/world-war-ii/russian-army-repels-hitlers-forces13.htm)

• The Russians broke through the German stranglehold on Leningrad to relieve the city from the east. In the Caucasus, the Russian advance continued. Cherkessk was captured by the Red Army, which was than less than 250 miles southeast of Rostov. (http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-europe/eastern-europe/eastern-europe-index-1943.htm

•The Germans counterattacked in Tunisia. They gained ground against the Free French but were repulsed by British forces. (http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-the-desert/war-in-the-desert-index-1943.htm)

• The German Army fielded its new weapon, the Mark VI Tiger heavy tank, in a battle on the outskirts of the Tunisian capital of Tunis. (http://history.howstuffworks.com/world-war-ii/russian-army-repels-hitlers-forces13.htm)

• The 1st Fighter Group sent 38 P-38s on an escort mission with B-17s to Castel Benito. Lt. Burton Weil, of the 27th, was shot down and became a POW. Lts. Stevens and Sullivan each claimed a Macchi 202. (http://www.1stfighter.org/history/1943.html)

• A wartime ban on the sale of presliced bread in the United States—aimed at reducing bakeries’ demand for metal replacement parts—went into effect. (http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1943.HTML)